As Iranians vote in two elections on Friday, a moderate alliance stands a
chance of weakening the dominance of hardliners

Iran’s reformers and their moderate allies were bidding to win at least 100 seats in parliament on Friday during a crucial election that could weaken the grip of hardliners.

Orderly queues formed outside polling stations in mosques and schools across Tehran as Iranians voted in two simultaneous elections. One is for a new Majles, or parliament, and the second is for the Assembly of Experts, the body which appoints the Supreme Leader.

At present, hardliners dominate both institutions, but a new alliance of reformers and centrists – styling itself the “coalition of hope” - is challenging their supremacy in parliament, bidding to win about a third of the 290 seats.

“This broad alliance stands a very good chance of winning at least 100 seats in the Majles [parliament],” said Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at Tehran University. “This would not, strictly speaking, be a reformist victory, but it would be significant.”

The politicians who could enter parliament as part of the “coalition of hope” include Mohammad Reza Aref, a former vice-president and a prominent reformist.

Prof Zibakalam described them as “moderates who oppose the revolutionary radical outlook of the Islamic regime” and “strongly support President Rouhani’s attempt to reach a rapprochement with the West, including the United States”.

He added: “All in all, the complexion of the Majles would be different. The short term result would be a better bargaining position for President Rouhani and, in the long term, there might be changes in Iran’s foreign policy in the region.”

Iranians walks past electoral posters for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the city of Qom Photo: AFP

Prof Zibakalam predicted that new moderate MPs might oppose “Iran’s blanket support” for Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria – although he cautioned that this would not be enough to change the regime's stance.

The election for the Assembly of Experts, however, is far less competitive. The Guardian Council, a powerful body that vets every candidate, banned almost all reformists and centrists from standing for the Assembly, almost guaranteeing the continued dominance of the 88-member body by hardliners.

Much will depend on the level of turnout. The authorities did their best to encourage Iranians to vote, seeing this as proof of the legitimacy of the contest. State television provided blanket coverage of the election, complete with constant exhortations to take part.

While casting his vote on Friday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, warned against the supposed danger of interference by outside powers. “Iran has enemies - they are eyeing us greedily," he said. "Turnout in the elections should be so high to disappoint our enemies. People should be observant and vote with open eyes.”

The electoral system is exceptionally complicated. Every voter in Tehran must write down by hand the names and numbers of their 30 favoured candidates for parliament – one for each constituency in the capital. They must then do the same for 16 candidates for the Assembly of Experts. This task can easily take half an hour.

Elections are always important; my advice to dear people of #Iran is that as said before, they participate in elections. #IranElections2016

The very complexity of the system – and the need to know the names of 46 candidates - may deter voters. One polling station inside a mosque in south Tehran was virtually empty at lunchtime on Friday. Elsewhere, long queues were visible.

“We have to choose the destiny of our country for ourselves,” said one 42-year-old man as he waited outside a polling station in Somayeh Girls’ School. “I will vote for those to whom Iran is important.”

Asked whether he knew the names of the 30 parliamentary candidates who he was about to choose, the man replied: “I know some names, yes. I have about seven to 10 names."